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Summary

One of a pair of large cairns at Eastern Beacon. Cairn 24 metres in diameter by 1.75 metres high with a hollow centre suggesting it has been robbed in the past. Visitors have repositioned some of the stones of the mound to form shelters.

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1012249: Two cairns on the south side of Ugborough Beacon

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX65NE5
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 441114
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX65NE/192
• Old SAM Ref: 10542

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• CAIRN (Constructed, Bronze Age - 2200 BC (Between) to 701 BC (Between))
• BUILDING (Constructed, Post Medieval to Late 20th Century - 1540 AD (Between) to 1975 AD (Between))

Full description

Ordnance Survey, 1880-1899, First Edition Ordnance Survey 25 inch map (Cartographic). SDV336179.

Southern of two 'Tumuli' shown on 19th century map.

Worth, R. H., 1943, 62nd Report on Barrows, 54 (Article in Serial). SDV165840.

In the southern cairn of two on Eastern Beacon, some of the stones of the retaining circle still stand in the margin.

Royal Air Force, 1946, RAF/CPE/UK/1890, 1140-1 (Aerial Photograph). SDV169268.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1950, SX65NE5 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV165689.

(28/3/1950) Turf-covered cairn except in hollow centre. Possible remains of retaining circle; has been disturbed and probably robbed of stones. Diameter 20.5 metres, height 1.7 metres.

National Monuments Record, 1977, SX6658, 1/368-371 (Aerial Photograph). SDV160614.

National Monuments Record, 1977, SX6658, 1/371 (Aerial Photograph). SDV160614.

Grinsell, L. V., 1978, Dartmoor Barrows, 172, Ugborough 20 (Article in Serial). SDV273224.

(24/6/1973) Cairn with large hollow centre. Signs of retaining circle. Diameter 21 metres, height 2.0 metres.

Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England, 1985, Aerial Photograph Project (Dartmoor) - Dartmoor Pre-NMP (Cartographic). SDV319854.

Medium sized cairn visible on 1946 and 1977 aerial photographs.

Turner, J. R., 1990, Ring Cairns, Stone Circles and Related Monuments on Dartmoor, 47 77/E52 (Article in Serial). SDV229817.

Platform circle. Ring of kerb stones, 20 metres internal diameter, enclosing flat-topped mound 0.2 metres high upon which there is a central cairn 14 metres diameter and 1.5 metres high. The cairn is mutilated. Dominates the skyline when approached from southern moorland fringe.

Butler, J., 1993, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume Four - The South-East, 37, 245, Map 53 (Monograph). SDV337765.

Ugborough Beacon cairn '4' at SX66745877 of 20.0 metres diameter by 2.2 metres high. Cairn to the south of Ugborough Beacon. The hollow in the centre must have reached ground level and the displaced stones have added considerably to its original height and partly concealing the kerb circle around its base.

Ordnance Survey, 2018, MasterMap 2018 (Cartographic). SDV360652.

Shown on modern mapping.

Historic England, 2018, National Heritage List for England, 1012249 (National Heritage List for England). SDV360653.

These two very large cairns on the brow of Ugborough Beacon each consist of an earth and stone base surmounted by a mound of stones.
The more easterly cairn is now partially turf covered and is surrounded by traces of a retaining curb. It is 24m in diameter, 1.75m high, and has a hollow centre suggesting it has been robbed in the past. Visitors have repositioned some of the stones of the mound to form shelters.

Various, 2018-2020, PALs Condition Recording photographs, UG11 (Photograph). SDV363073.

(21/12/2018) Site photographed during condition survey visit.

Riley, H., 2021, Archaeological Survey: Ugborough Premier Archaeological Landscape, Harford and Ugborough (Report - Survey). SDV364697.

One of fifty round cairns recorded during survey.

Riley, H., 2021, UG21 heritage asset database and gazetteer of sites (Report - Survey). SDV364699.

Visted on 22nd January 2021, surveyed and photographed. Large cairn south-east of Eastern Beacon: stony mound, 20 metres north to south, 22 metres east to west, 1.7 metres high, with outer rim 1.6 metres wide, 0.9 metres high and several upright stones of retaining kerb. Remains of a building in centre of cairn, 8 metres north to south, 6 metres east to west, defined by roughly coursed stone walls, 0.5 metres wide, 0.4 metres high, probably associated with seasonal grazing.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV8770 - Archaeological Survey: Ugborough Premier Archaeological Lanscape, Harford and Ugborough

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